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Hard-Liners Warn US Over Proposed Al-Qaeda Operations
Associated Press
A hard-line religious coalition warned on Friday that tribesmen might fire on US forces if a planned âspring offensiveâ against terror suspects extended into Pakistan.
| Perhaps we should warn them that we'll fire back. And we have big guns. |
Riaz Durrani, spokesman for the opposition coalition Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, which controls two Pakistani provinces bordering Afghanistan, said any move by Washington to deploy forces there would be a âhistoric mistake.â
A US official in Washington hinted this week that a planned effort to step up the hunt for Taleban or Al-Qaeda fugitives at the end of the winter could extend into Pakistan. For the past two years, thousands of US forces have been operating in southern and eastern Afghanistan, but say they havenât crossed the rugged border. The MMA â also known as the United Action Forum â said it would raise the issue in Parliament and threatened street protests if Washington did get the green light to operate inside Pakistan. âIf Pakistan gives permission to America for conducting military operations in tribal regions, it will be very dangerous,â Durrani said. âIn such a situation, the (US) army will face bullets from the tribesmen.â
He said so far tribesmen in the border regions, which are largely autonomous from the central government, are showing restraint toward the presence of the revenooers Pakistani military, which have launched a number of operations to hunt down Al-Qaeda fugitives. âWe are urging them not to resist against the army,â Durrani said. âBut if Americans go into their areas, the tribesmen will not listen to us.â
| "You know they lack any vestige of self-control. It's out of our hands..." |
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2004-02-01 |
